What is Diabetes?
by John Richmond
When the body doesn't make enough insulin or use it properly, diabetes occurs. Diabetes is usually a reference to diabetes mellitus, but there are several less common conditions which are also referred to as diabetes. It is often diagnosed when an person develops a problem that is caused by diabetes, such as heart attack, stroke, wounds not healing properly, neuropathy, foot ulcer, fungal infections, certain eye conditions, and giving birth to a child with hypoglycemia or macrosomia.
It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1. Most Americans who are diagnosed have type 2. It often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless.
Pre-diabetes is a condition where a patients blood glucose levels are unusually elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2. This condition is also called impaired glucose tolerance or insulin resistance. The cells of the body become more insulin resistant or the correct amount of insulin is not being manufactured by the pancreas. Pre-diabetes is also called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) dependant on which test is used for diagnosis. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently estimated that pre-diabetes is becoming more prevalent in the U.S.
In their efforts to ascertain whether or not a person has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care professionals use a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Using the FPG test, a fasting blood glucose level in the range of 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. Using the OGTT test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after fasting and two hours after consuming a glucose-rich drink.
Diabetes screening is recommended for many people at various stages of life, and for those with any of several risk factors. But keeping your blood sugar under control now can help reduce the risk of health problems from diabetes later. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease (doubled risk), chronic renal failure (diabetic nephropathy is the main cause of dialysis in developed world adults), retinal damage (which can lead to blindness and is the most significant cause of adult blindness in the non-elderly in the developed world), nerve damage (of several kinds), and micro vascular damage, which may cause erectile dysfunction (impotence) and poor healing.
In the long term, diabetics may suffer from cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, retinal damage, many types of nerve damage, micro vascular damage which may cause erectile dysfunction, and poor healing.
Keeping blood pressure under control and curbing bad habits such as smoking, not getting enough exercise and becoming over weight are extremely important in the avoidance of serious diabetes complications.
Diabetes can lead to serious health problems and early death, but those with diabetes can take action to manage the condition and reduce the risk of these complications. Diabetes is a disease that affects over 21 million in the U.S. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of early death and disability as well. Diabetes is linked to life long complications that damage almost every part of the human anatomy. It's very serious, but it is manageable.
John Richmond is an avid researcher who does research in information about diseases and is a contributor to YourDiabetesInfo.com. John has thoroughly researched the topic of
diabetes and hopes you find his writings to be educational. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own
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